14589 research outputs found
Sort by
2023-09-15 Senate Minutes and Agendas
No full textMinutes and agenda for the September 15th, 2023 meeting of Saint Mary’s University Senate
Benchmarking native collagen : evaluation of structural differences between tendon types and across animal models
Get PDF1 online resource (127, 8, 8, 4, 8 pages) : illustrations (some colour), charts (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 113-121).Tendons perform two very distinct functions that require different mechanical properties and are categorized into two types based on these functions: positional (PTs) and energy storing (ESTs). Structural differences between PTs and ESTs enable these distinct functions. Within bovine and equine animal models, both structural and mechanical differences between PTs and ESTs have been noted. However, the extent of these differences is unclear, as is how well conserved any such differences are across species. The present research aimed to understand the structural differences and similarities between the most commonly used PTs and ESTs in three animal models: bovine, ovine, and rat. Tendons were structurally evaluated by four methods: Hydrothermal Isometric
Tension (HIT), NaBH4 reduction with HIT, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and scanning Electron Microscopy. Overall, results from all four methods of analysis show that there are distinct differences between tendon types and across models: particularly between large and small animal models
Retail employees with disabilities
Get PDF1 online resource (50 pages) : colour illustrations, chartsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 29-34).Currently, there is a gap within the literature on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility
(EDIA) in the retail workplace, as most of the existing research focuses on customers with
disabilities, not employees. Using a group interview methodology, insights were gathered from retail workers with disabilities to understand their experiences. In all, N = 6 retail workers with disabilities (n = 1 temporary and n = 5 permanent) aged 28 to 45 in the Halifax Regional
Municipality in Nova Scotia participated in a 90-minute group interview. Participants were asked what they liked about their work and their workplace and what they would like to see changed. After anonymizing the interview transcript and verifying it for accuracy, open coding was used by two independent coders to identify meaning units. Thematic analysis was used to develop several themes addressing how much participants really like their jobs and the interactions that retail work affords them; the social and instrumental support they receive at work; and the selfconfidence they feel in their capabilities to do their work and tasks beyond those to which they are restricted. Several negative aspects were also identified: participants felt underestimated in their capacities; discriminated against by customers and colleagues; and a lack of expected support from managers. Results were used to draft a tool to provide retail managers with interventions for improved workplace inclusion of their employees with disabilities
The role of the environment on irregular migration in The Gambia, West Africa : implications for climate change adaptation policies
Get PDF1 online resource (vii, 116 pages) : colour mapsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 102-114).As climate change worsens, populations around the world must continue to find innovative ways to adapt with the increased impacts and pressures from changing environments. Increasingly, *migration is being viewed as a valid adaptation strategy by researchers and policymakers alike. This thesis looks at the framing of migration as an adaptation strategy, first, through a discourse analysis of West African policies, and second, through empirical research in The Gambia. It became evident that migration is being viewed as an adaptation strategy both in national-level policies and locally by Gambians attempting to improve their livelihoods. This thesis argues that adaptive migration should be better incorporated in policy frameworks and viewed as a valid adaptation strategy. Gambians and vulnerable populations around the globe will bear the brunt of climate change, despite contributing the least to the crisis. Global cooperation is needed to ensure vulnerable populations are protected and human rights are upheld
Developing a localized surface plasmon aptasensor for the early detection of acute myocardial infarction
Get PDF1 online resource (x, 64 pages) : illustrations (some colour), charts (chiefly colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 52-56).Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a deadly disease wherein the coronary arteries become blocked, causing irreversible death to myocardial wall tissue which can result in heart failure. Current clinical methods lack the sensitivity and time efficiency needed to effectively diagnose AMI. Aptamer-based sensors (aptasensors) have been investigated as a potential rapid diagnostic technique for AMI. The high binding coefficient and selectivity of aptamers make them a desirable alternative to protein-based antibodies for developing new diagnostic platforms. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is one of the protein biomarkers released into the bloodstream when an AMI event occurs. Some aptasensors have been developed for cTnI detection, but not much work has used localised
surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) as a sensing platform. LSPR sensing is fast, easy to use and highly sensitive to the dielectric environment on the surface of noble metal nanostructures and has shown promise for bioanalytical sensing. The objective of this thesis was to build a plasmonically active aptasensor specific to cTnI using LSPR as a proof-of-concept detection method. A glass cover slip was used as the substrate upon which silver nanostructures were assembled in a single layer using nanosphere lithography. The aptamer was immobilised onto this surface and thiols were used to fill in surface gaps to reduce non-specific binding and avoid false positives. The aptasensor was then tested to determine its ability to detect the presence of cTnI. Control
measurements determined that the thiols and the aptamer did not hinder the LSPR readings. Unfortunately, the sensor could not be successfully functionalized by the aptamer because the reducing agent used in the aptamer causes delamination of the silver on the substrate and destroys the plasmonic functionality of the sensor. More studies are needed to optimize this new sensor platform
A history of the American wetland : an analysis of sociocultural values and cinematic depictions
Get PDF1 online resource (iv, 44 pages)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 41-44).In the early to mid 1900s the American wetland was considered a forbidden wasteland with the purpose of being dominated by humans. This perception remained dominant throughout the first half of the century and lessened throughout the latter half. In pop culture, this, too, was showcased. The 1954 release of Creature from the Black Lagoon mirrored sociocultural values on the American wetland during and before this decade. When pop culture was popularized in the 1950s, it became clear it had an impactful influence on the general population. However, it is unclear if pop culture exists as a product of human thought, or if it acts as an influencer for sociocultural values. To suggest the latter further, Shrek (2001) reflected the newly-instated admiration for the American wetland that occurred shortly before and during the film’s theatrical release. Between this time, the sociocultural value of the American wetland and the cinematic depictions of wetlands demonstrated changes at similar intervals. Though it is unlikely that film caused a mass change in general perceptions, and federal and state policies, it is clear that cinematic depictions of the landscape had some influence over the sociocultural values on the American wetland
Essays on mental health policy modeling and development
Get PDF1 online resource (206 pages) : charts (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-58, 112-132, 176-190, 203-205).This study focuses on developing policy guidelines for the improvement of mental health services in Canada. By applying comprehensive approaches, we address prevalent issues in the mental health services such as access to mental healthcare, quality issues, capacity shortages and miscoordinations among mental health services. We developed analytical models to demonstrate the interrelated impacts of gaps in the mental health services in Canada on the performance of the system of mental healthcare. We proposed and validated pathways to solve those issues. In the first essay, we built a model to demonstrate how access issues in the mental health services increase the utilization of emergency departments. We presented solutions to minimize the total cost of the mental health system and manage the number of patients using the emergency departments for
mental healthcare considering different contextual conditions. In the second essay, we constructed a framework to design mental health services integrating effectiveness and efficiency. We analyse patients’ preferences of the two important attributes of standardization and individualization and investigate how patients’ behaviours and characteristics impact the design of mental health services. In the third essay we developed a framework to build capacity and resilience via collaboration of mental health organizations in Nova Scotia. We derive optimal strategies to solve prevalent issues in the mental health system in Canada. By our multifactorial analysis, we incorporate the dynamics of an array of factors in the mental health services including personal,
economic and system elements. This research bridges operational and mental health research fields to provide analytical and conceptual outcomes. Throughout our work, we verified the importance of following complementary strategies in designing of and implementing developments to mental health services. Based on the analysis and empirical evidence, the study delivers policy implications and practical roadmaps to improve mental heath services in Canada
Automated prediction of tailings areas at historic gold mine districts in Nova Scotia using multispectral images and a random forest classifier
Get PDF1 online resource (vii, 24, 107, 10 pages) : maps (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 15-24, 62-71, 103-107).Satellite imagery can be analyzed to offer a preliminary regional assessment of mine tailings indicators, enabling identification before performing in-depth fieldwork. Nova Scotia, Canada, still retains mine tailings produced in the 1860s to the 1940s in 64 historic gold districts, which exceed soil guidelines for arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) levels. Tailings data often relies on historical maps, which may not accurately depict the current extent due to wind and rain transportation. This study employs historical data to train a classifier, enabling the classification of multispectral satellite images from Sentinel-2.
Both pixel-wise and object-based methods were evaluated, yielding a median F1-score above 0.7 for most tested methods at two case study sites. Accuracy varied at other sites, particularly those with significant proportions of wetland areas. Lastly, we investigate false positives and propose future research to create a more resilient classifier
European influence on water management in the Valley of Mexico
Get PDF1 online resource (122 pages) : illustrations (some colour), colour mapsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-122).The Valley of Mexico’s historical susceptibility to flooding underwent a significant environmental transformation during the Spanish colonization, when Spaniards, influenced by their Roman and Muslim heritage, built extensive hydraulic works including the Desagüe, exerting their control over the Indigenous population. This undertaking led to the desiccation of the Valley and the exploitation of Indigenous labour. With the belief that stagnant water caused miasmas, these efforts persisted throughout the nineteenth century in the Gran Canal waterwork, concluded in 1900 under President Porfirio Díaz. European scientific perspectives, including those of Alexander von Humboldt and Jean André Poumarède, played an influential role in water management policy decisions. This thesis examines how European views shaped water management in central Mexico with a long-lasting effect on its modern-day society and environment. The basin’s desiccation
continues to pose an array of challenges in Mexico City, including subsidence, drainage and water supply inefficiency, social inequality, and flooding